• • • Estelle Finkel, who passed away on August 29 at her home in West Orange, New Jersey, filled the hearts of family and friends with love, inspiration and joy. She was 91.

Estelle was a lifelong champion of family and education, with an energy level that few people could match. Born in Newark, New Jersey to Rae (Baitz) Rosenberg, a homemaker, and Max Rosenberg, a grocery store owner/carpenter, she was raised with a strong work ethic and a warm, nurturing spirit. Estelle had an innate will to enrich her life and the lives of those she loved. Especially when it came to Paul, her beloved late husband of almost 70 years. She believed in him and their life together with every fiber of her being. Her greatest pride and joy were the generations they created – four children, 11 grandchildren, and two greatgrandchildren.

Estelle built a lifetime of memories with family, and friends who were family – from international trips and cruises to parties with colorful, hand-painted signs and homemade desserts. She celebrated everything, as often as possible – and inevitably, the celebrations involved her trademark homemade cuisine.

Estelle’s fondest childhood memories were spending time with her boisterous aunts, uncles, and closeknit cousins at Max’s grocery store and at her grandfather Joseph’s chicken farm in Warren, New Jersey. Her signature trait – fierce determination – dates to her West Side High School years, where she graduated eighth in her class while balancing myriad extracurricular activities, like being a violinist in the orchestra and a majorette. She was the first person in her family to go to college (Teachers College at Jersey City), despite the untimely passing of her mother when Estelle was 19. In 1969, she received her master’s degree in special education from Montclair State University.

Estelle’s legendary career as an educator spanned generations of students and families who knew her as “Mrs. Finkel,” the no-nonsense teacher who gave hugs and kisses. After 25 plus years as an elementary school teacher in Newark, Union, and Livingston, she wrote an editorial in the West Essex Tribune newspaper (Livingston) that epitomized her unwavering passion for teaching and her connection to students.

“For 25 plus years, a class of children greeted me on the first day of a new school year with ‘Good morning, Mrs. Finkel,’” Estelle wrote in 1995. “Now I’ve retired from the classroom. But retire from children? Never. Once a student, always a memory.”

After Estelle left the school system, she took her zeal for education to a new level by establishing a tutoring business in Livingston with Paul. The 20-plus year business, Estelle Finkel Educational Associates, catapulted from a small staff to a robust team of 50 tutors and professionals, supporting thousands of students across New Jersey.

Estelle never stopped teaching and learning. After she and Paul sold the tutoring business, she embraced adult education classes, book clubs, bridge, Temple Beth Shalom lectures, and more.

Estelle was predeceased by her siblings, Roberta Cohen and Seymour Rosenberg. She is survived by her brother, Leon Rosenberg, and her four children and their spouses: Rachel and Steven Litner, Seth and Debra Finkel, Leah and Jeff Kaltman, and Miriam and Scott Friedman.

She is also survived by 11 grandchildren: Jordan (Alexa), Billy (Dido), Rebecca, Jonathan, Jared, Josh, Daniel (Sophia), Jacob, Brad, Sam, and Sarah; and two greatgrandchildren: Capri and Maya.

The legacy of Estelle Finkel lives on forever in our hearts.

A funeral service was held on Sunday, September 1, 2024, at Menorah Chapels at Millburn. Interment followed the service at Beth David Cemetery, Kenilworth. To make a contribution in memory of Estelle Finkel, please visit the Support TBS page on the Temple Beth Shalom website, or by mail, Temple Beth Shalom, 193 East Mt. Pleasant Avenue, Livingston, NJ 07039. Also: Hillel International, PO Box 92994 Washington, DC 20090-2994.